Game for a little general knowledge test? Here we go:
1 How many of you have heard of Majuli?
2 Does Mawsynram ever ring a bell?
3 Katakhal is where or what or who?
Sounds all Greek and Latin? Or Mandarin? I will shift to questions in simple English.
4 Which state is suffering from a perpetual economic blockade?
5 Which state has the oldest oil refinery in India and is the largest tea producer?
The last one was thrown in so that you don't get a zero. (which leads to the sixth question-What is zero apart from being nought?). Yes, the answer to the fifth question is Assam. Congrats, you got at least one out of five. Not bad at all, considering the North East occupies only about one fifth of the total land area of India. By the way, Assam does ring a faint bell, doesn't it? We have all heard of it, yes, of course, Assam, some ugly appendage of the Indian union, out there in the North East, a hilly state infested with terrorists. Right?
WRONG!!!
Assam, for that matter the entire North-East, is wrapped in a shroud of mystery for most of us Indians. For most of us, it is an alien state. It just stands out there in the north east corner of India, counting for nothing, with its tribal denizens just whiling away time, drinking tea and inhaling pot when not killing each other. It is one among the seven sisters, the other six being... hmm..er...Mizoram, Nagaland and .....and....Meghalaya and .....hmmm....forget it. How does it matter? Great task, remembering all the seven. It pays to remember the 50 states of United States, instead.
For far too long a time, we have excelled in being blissfully forgetful of North East India. Until once in a while, the national newspapers remind us of its existence by deigning to allocate one column in page 5 to sundry news bits like fifty dying in Brahmaputra floods, or insurgents kidnapping a BDO or an earthquake of 5.2 intensity striking Jorhat. With somewhat greater frequency does some politician of some weight from New Delhi remind us of its existence by blurting out words of statesmanship like the importance of 'integrating the North East into the mainstream'. Whatever he means! For the ignorant souls, take it from me,each state in the North East is a mainstream in itself and it is we, the mainland snoots who need some integration into their mainstreams. For far too long, we have ignored them, from time immemorial we have looked down upon them with condescension and derision. For far too long, our awareness of the North East is restricted to tidbits thrown in in TV channels like some Union Minister attending some development council meeting in Nagaland, clad in the Nagas' traditional tribal outfit, trying out a tribal dance (his idea of integrating into the mainstream) or on Jan.26th when a gaudy Mizoram Govt. float passes by in the parade in Raj Path.
Does the North East begin and end with such trifles? Read on....
.....Assam, the land of the Gainda. The one-horned Rhino, to be seen nowhere else in the world. The land of the mighty Brahmaputra. Could easily have been God's own country, if only our tourism department opened its blinkered eyes a little before they discovered Kerala. A paradise of lush greenery, misty hills and fertile plains. The abode of a people of a rich cultural heritage. A land that has produced great luminaries in literature and fine-arts. The land that speaks one of the oldest languages in the world.
For those enamoured of the Darjeeling mountain train and the Swiss Interlaken, this might be of some interest. There is a railway line in Assam from Badarpur in the Cachar plains to Lumding, passing through some of the most beautiful landscapes one can ever set eyes on. It is not a toy train, it's a full fledged passenger express. Board the Barak valley express at Badarpur and be prepared for the unbelievable. Winding its way through more than two dozen tunnels, over countless high bridges spanning gurgling rivulets, amidst snow-clad verdant greenery of the North Cachar Hills, this journey is to be experienced to be believed. At a leisurely, lahe-lahe pace. Yes, lahe-lahe Assam, not for it, the mad rush of the modern world....
.....Manipur. One of the most literate of Indian states. The place which gifted the game polo to the world. Where the vast expanse of the blue Loktak lake beckons you. Where a 2000 year old history unfolds and charms visitors. A land of great warriors, literateurs and fine arts. Where in a quaint little village called Moreh abutting Burma, trade is still by barter, no money exchanged....
.....Meghalaya, the switzerland of the east. Of misty mountains and barren coal-fields. The momos of Shillong. The colourful Gharo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Ever taken a drive on a rainy July afternoon from Shillong to Guwahati? Ever passed by the blue glistening Umiam lake on the way? Ever experienced pristine nature, minus the touristy crowd? Ever visited Meghalaya and experienced life?......
.....And then Tripura, cozily nestled between Comilla and Chittagong of Bangladesh . A smorgasbord of Bengali culture and native tribal hues. Where people of a hundred sects live in peace with each other. Where even the Chief Minister's retinue is much smaller than our Chennai local ward councillor's. Capital Agartala, only 3 kms from the Akhaura border of Bangladesh, from where Kolkata is just a few hours away, as the crow flies (as compared to a few days if travelling around the chicken's neck). A beautiful, endearing town, of enterprising and intelligent people, trying to break into the company of more modern cities elsewhere......
...And the other sisters Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunahal Pradesh. Each unique in its own way and each with a rich history, waiting to be discovered....
Does any one know that the literacy rate of the North East is much higher than some of the biggest of the Indian states? Does it surprise anyone to know that in all the social indicators like women's welfare, child mortality, health or education, the NE scores high above the others? Why then we still carry stereotypes within ourselves about the NE? Like making fun of their appearance or passing lewd comments on them? And refusing to recognise their worth and contribution? But from Assam and Tripura, where do you get the oil and gas for your Fords and Mercedeses? But for Manipur's lithe lasses, where do you get your wrestling and archery medals from? But for Mizoram and Nagaland, where do you get your bamboo cane furniture from, to adorn your drawing rooms? But for Arunachal Pradesh, where do you get the land buffer from the Chinese from? But for the North East, where does India get its colour and flavour from?
The sun rises in India first in the North East, dawn after dawn. Its people wake up and arise before we do, morning after morning. It's time we also woke up; and opened our eyes to the wonder that is North East India.
Ah yes, the answers to the quiz:
1 Majuli - the largest riverine island in the world in the mighty Brahmaputra in Assam
2 Mawsynram - the place with one of the heaviest rainfall in the world, in Meghalaya
3 Katakhal - India's first and only rail-cum-road bridge, still in use, in Assam. Not a bridge of the two-tier variety, but a single bridge with railway tracks on it, where vehicles pause to let the train pass.
And Zero, apart from being nought, is a beautiful valley surrounded by majestic blue hills in verdant Arunachal Pradesh!
The answer to the 4th question sums up the tragedy that is North East. It is Manipur. For no other Indian state has endured so much pain and agony, not even Kashmir. Manipur is under a perpetual blockade, cut-off from the rest of the mainland for more than eleven months a year. A state rich in natural resources and endowed with a beautiful people-but torn by sectarian strife. With a shamelessly callous Central Government looking the other way, not caring to lift a finger to alleviate its misery. Not just for us common folks from the mainland, for even the powers that be in New Delhi, Manipur, for that matter, the entire North-East just does not exist! Its citizens can go to hell, for all it cares. No wonder, several shops in Imphal, display the sign board "Indian goods for sale here!" - that is, when the shops are open during the 'strategic time-outs' of about 2 hours a day.
